The present invention relates to a system, method and recordable medium for receiving and transmitting data over a network, and in particular, to receiving and transmitting print data from a print spooler via a port monitor and upload manager to a web server.
Photocopying and reproduction services have been around since the turn of the century. These services traditionally include a variety of competition ranging from internal copy centers and network printers to outsourced and quick copy centers. These photocopying and reproduction services are used in a wide variety of commercial and non-commercial businesses. For example, publishers, firms, universities, sales professionals, training professionals, international consumers, corporations, individuals, sole proprietors, mobile offices, home offices, business travelers and content producers all utilize photocopying and reproduction services.
Internal copy centers may be found, for example, in many businesses. Internal copy centers typically handle photocopying and reproduction for personnel internal to a specific business. These copy centers are, however, often overburdened with the amount of material that they are required to produce, and are often under-staffed and limited in the number of machines that can perform the services. They are also often unreliable to users, require supervision, are often not available after certain hours and do not deliver the package after the services have been completed.
Local network printers, such as a printer attached to a personal computer, are also widely used as a photocopy and reproduction service. Local network printers often suffer from problems such as running out of toner, being in an inconvenient location, very little if any color capability, a lack of confidentiality, and no binding, stapling or shipping.
Outsourced copy centers function similar to internal copy centers except that they are run by an outside copy service. Hence, the problems associated with an internal copy center are similarly attributable to outside copy centers. In addition, the consumer must now associate with persons outside of their business. As is often the case, the exchange of information (i.e. getting the material to the outsourced service, conveying the method of binding, etc.) is miscommunicated and/or not properly conveyed. Quick copy centers (a specific kind of outsourced copy center), such as Kinko""s(copyright), Sir Speedy(copyright) and KwikCopy(copyright), enable consumers to copy, reproduce and bind. However, these centers have the disadvantages of inconsistent quality and service between stores, inconsistent service offerings, diluted brands, and inconvenient locations.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional process that a consumer must follow in order to copy or reproduce a document using, for example, the above noted copy centers. First, the consumer must save the document to disk. Then the consumer must walk to the copy center and wait in line for access to a computer and printer. An order must then be placed, and the consumer must wait for the order to be printed. Once the order has been printed, the consumer must then place the order for copy services, wait for a first copy to preview the document, confirm the order, walk back to the office, wait for copies to finish printing, walk back to the copy center and wait in line to pick up the copies. Finally, the copies must be sent to their final destination by some form of mail delivery. As explained above and by the Quick Copy Center diagram, the process is time consuming and lengthy.
As noted above, copy centers do not afford the consumer the ability to preview a document prior to completion of the service. For example, a consumer cannot view either the document as a whole or parts of the document, such as the font of the document, the binding and/or the color of the cover, until after completion of the entire photocopying and reproduction process. Hence, if the completed product is not satisfactory to the consumer, the entire process must be repeated. This not only increases the time for copying and reproduction, but also inevitably increases the costs to both the consumer and the service provider.
In one embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document on-line. The method includes, for example, uploading the document from a client to a storage unit, such as a web server, via the network, after print driver information is verified, and downloading the document form the storage unit to a facility for printing.
In one aspect of the invention, the network is the Internet.
In still another aspect of the invention, the method provides providing a print driver from an application residing on the client in order to print the document, authenticates the print driver by comparing information about the selected print driver with predetermined information, stores the document, including relevant document information, in the storage unit, and prints the document at the facility located at a location based on the relevant document information.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document over a network. The method includes, for example, providing a print driver to be selected by a user to print the document from an application residing on a client, and uploading the document from the client, using the selected print driver, to a web server via a network.
In one aspect of the invention, the method also includes launching an interface to view the document selected for delivery, downloading the document from the storage unit to a facility for delivery, and sending the document to a location designated by a user at the client.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document over a network. The method includes, for example, receiving an uploaded document from a client and storing the document at the received location, and sending the document to a facility for delivery.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is a system for delivering a document over a network. The system includes, for example, a client having an application that allows a user to select a print driver for printing the document, wherein the print driver creates a print file from the document and the print file is uploaded over the network.
In one aspect of the invention, the system also includes, for example, a web server receiving the print file uploaded over the network, a delivery facility to receive the document downloaded from the network, and an upload manager launching a web browser for viewing the document on the client.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there is a system for delivering a document over a network. The system includes, for example, an upload manager to upload the document from a client to a storage unit, via a network, after print driver information is verified, a printing facility, accessible via the network, receiving the document downloaded form the storage unit for printing.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is a system for delivering a document over a network. The system includes, for example, an interface on a client to download a print driver from the network, the print driver creating a print file from the document, an authentication manager to verify that the print driver is valid by comparing predetermined information with components of the print driver stored in the print file, an upload manager, residing on the client, launching the interface for viewing the document, a web server to receive the print file uploaded from the client, the print file including file information, and a printing facility downloading the print file from the web server and delivering the document to a specified address.
In one aspect of the invention, the file information includes at least one of a handle identifying the location of the printer, a printer name, a job id, a printing level, color information, binding information or other relevant document information.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is a system for delivering a document over a network. The system includes, for example, a client uploading the document to a web server via a network, after print driver information is verified, and a printing facility downloading the document from the web server for delivery.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document over a network. The method includes, for example, downloading a print driver located on a client from the network, the print driver creating a print file from the document to upload over the network, verifying that the print driver is valid by comparing predetermined information with components of the print driver stored in the document, launching an interface for viewing the document, receiving the document uploaded from the client at a web server, the document including file information, and downloading the document from the web server and printing the document according at least to the file information.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document over a network. The method includes, for example, receiving a request to print the document, building objects using a print driver such that the document can be communicated over the network as a print file, and uploading the print file from a client to a storage unit over the network.
In one aspect of the invention, the method further includes, for example, storing the document in the storage unit, downloading the document from the storage unit to a printing facility accessible via the network, and printing the document for delivery to a specified location.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is a computer readable medium including, for example, instructions thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, performing the function of providing a print driver to be selected by a user in order to print a document from an application residing on a client, and uploading the document from the client, using the selected print driver, to a storage unit via a network.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, there is a computer readable medium including, for example, instructions thereon, the instructions, when executed by a processor, performing the function of receiving a request to print a document, building objects using a print driver such that the document can be communicated over a network and uploading the document from a client to a storage unit over the network.
In another embodiment of the invention, there is a method for delivering a document over a network. The method includes, for example, uploading the document from a client to a web server via the network, and downloading the document from the web server to a facility for delivery.
In still another embodiment of the invention, there is a system for delivering a document. The system includes, for example, an upload manager to upload the document from a client to a web server, via a network, and a delivery facility, accessible via the network, receiving the document downloaded from the web server for delivery.